1. Field of the Invention
The devices and processes described herein relate, in general, to management of memory devices in data processing systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data processing systems are systems that manipulate, process, and store data. Personal computer systems, and their associated subsystems, constitute well-known examples of data processing systems.
Personal computer systems typically utilize memory devices. One type of memory device so utilized is known in the art as RAMBUS Dynamic Random Access Memory, or RDRAM. RDRAM is a proprietary type of computer memory developed by Rambus, Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., and has been adopted for use by Intel Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif.
Operation of RDRAM memory devices consumes considerable amounts of power and produces considerable amounts of heat. In many data processing systems, (e.g., portable computer systems such as notebook and subnotebook computer systems) power and heat management constitute significant design concerns. These power and heat management design concerns have been recognized by RDRAM designers and developers, and thus the RDRAM specification provides defined power management policies.
The inventors named herein have discovered, and such discovery forms part of the inventive content herein, that RDRAM pooling policies can be tailored to monitored memory use in order to provide near-optimum power management and performance. It has also been discovered that the foregoing discovery can be extended to benefit other memory devices which utilize pooling schemes.